Monthly Archives: August 2014

One woman told of growing up on her family’s farm. She remembers being able to play by the stream without fear.

But now, with wolves around, it is a different story for her grandchildren. They came to visit one day. They brought their new puppy. As they bounded out of the car toward the house, two wolves emerged from the creek and snatched the puppy as the shocked children helplessly watched.

They are now afraid to go to grandma’s house. They have nightmares.

Others told similar stories.

Children waiting for the school bus sit in cages to be protected from wolves. Nine ranches in the current habitat area have been sold due to wolf predation – too many cattle are killed and ranchers are forced off the land.

Oh wait. That wasn’t from “Little Red Riding Hood.” That was from a recent column in the Albuquerque Journal written by a woman named Marita Noon from a company called “Energy Makes America Great, Inc.” The fear-mongering then continues to this:

Had I been called to speak, I would have addressed the lunacy of the plan.

After huge amounts of effort and resources have been invested to save the sand dune lizard and the lesser prairie chicken in and around the oil patch of southeastern New Mexico, they now want to introduce a master predator that will gobble up the other endangered species? After all, as many proponents pointed out, “wolves don’t have maps.” They don’t stay within the boundaries of the Fish and Wildlife Service plan, they go where the food is.

As I listened to the presenters, I wondered: “Why do they do this?” People and their property need to be protected.

Instead, supporters whined that capturing wolves and moving them away from communities “traumatizes” them. What about the harm to humans; the traumatized children? Does human blood need to be shed to consider that they have been harmed?

Calls to our elected officials do matter. Contact yours and tell him/her that you want people protected, that humans shouldn’t be harmed by an expanded wolf reintroduction territory.

People shouldn’t lie awake in fear for their families and property.

Ah yes. Where have we heard this before? Whether it is New Mexico or Wisconsin the anti-wolf talking points are exactly the same. Your “grandchildren” and their “puppies” are going to be gobbled up by the big bad wolf. Why is it always grandchildren that wolves want to gobble up? Does that mean your children, nieces, and nephews are safe because wolves have no taste for them? I also want to know why wolves only seem to target the grandchildren and livestock of wolf haters? Not only are they vicious and bloodthirsty predators, but they have vendettas against only those that hate them. Amazing. Why don’t wolves eat the grandchildren of hippies and tree huggers? I guess they aren’t tasty enough or full of enough fear and BS for those big bad wolves to chow down on.

The drivel above is the same type of talking points used by the anti-wolf groups in Wisconsin and their mouthpieces. The most brazen of these attempts occurred in 2007 with the release of a fear-mongering and ridiculous television ad called “Little Red Riding Hood Was Right.” From this 2007 article:

In Wisconsin, The Cattleman’s Association, Wisconsin Safari Clubs and Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association produced a video ad that will be aired shortly on local TV stations. The ad, entitled Little Red Riding Hood was right, is designed to scare the public about the number of Wolves in Wisconsin and the danger they pose to their children. The ad is strewed with misinformation. This group would like to see a cull of at least 200 Wolves to bring the number down to the minimum required for delisting status. Adrian Wydeven, the states Department of Natural Resource (DNR) Biologist, states that the ad’s effort to scare people is “wrongheaded” but agrees that it is time to delist the Wolf. “We aren’t going to go out and start killing wolves when de-listing occurs. I think, overall, we’re about where we need to be right now,” Wydeven said. “But the target goal in our management plan is 350 wolves outside of Indian reservations, and that’s still our policy.” There are currently about 500 Wolves in the state according to the DNR.

It goes on to explain that wolves are attacking dogs and livestock, but in case you miss the not-so-subtle implications, the spot goes on to advise people that they have the right to defend themselves against attacks by wolves. It ends with a wolf overlooking a playground where children are swinging and concludes: ‘The danger may be closer than you think.’

Hmmmm. The Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association, SCI, and the Cattleman’s Association. What do these groups all have in common? They are all currently members of the Wisconsin DNR’s “Wolf Advisory Committee” that recommends kill quotas and other wolf “management” policies. How can the general public be expected to take anything that comes out of that committee seriously when a good chunk of their members consider Little Red Riding Hood to be historical fact?

“We hate them,” said John Bailey, chairman of the town of 850 and owner of Bailey’s Town and Country bar. He said wolves have reduced the deer population, a major source of income from visiting hunters. In addition to Mr. Schoone’s cattle losses, Mr. Bailey said another farmer recently lost two pregnant cows and a dog to wolves. He said he had heard stories of people being stalked. “I’m really concerned about it, especially small children,” he said.

They always “hear stories” about how the big bad wolf is terrorizing children and other people, but they never have any facts to back those claims up. But when all else fails with anti-wolf fear-mongering we can always use racist code words such as comparing wolves to “street gangs” to get the scared rural lily white folk all riled up. This comment was posted following the Albuquerque “column” along with all kinds of other anti-wolf and fear stoking propaganda:

“i was going to say something but after reading the more ignorant statements from the ill informed wolf lovers i was at a loss for words if only they could look at these wolves as they look at street gangs terrorizing their neighborhoods and doing anything they please maybe they could understand what we are going through with the wolf”

Ah yes the “street gang” analogy has been popping up quite a bit lately among the anti-wolf factions in the Great Lakes and in the West. Kind of like how the KKK is using the unrest in Ferguson, MO to “recruit” for their hate group the anti-wolf factions prey upon that same kind of fear by alluding to wolves as being like “street gangs.”

It is not just hatred of the wolf that is behind much of the lies, fables, and misinformation being spread online and in newspapers across the country. Why would a person representing a group called Energy Makes America Great, Inc. write a “column” stoking fear about the reintroduction of the Mexican Gray Wolf? The answer really is quite simple. The Mexican Gray Wolf is still listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act. Even with the proposed gutting of endangered species protections, the Mexican Wolf will still have ESA protections. That would just so happen to get in the way of that “energy that makes America so great.” As their own website states:

Some of the concerns that we’ve worked on include the Keystone XL pipeline, fighting the extension of the Production Tax Credit for wind energy (which did receive a one year extension as a part of the fiscal cliff deal), fighting the listing of the sand dune lizard as an endangered species (which was not listed), and rallying people to attend hearings to balance out the anti-energy sentiments loudly expressed by environmentalists.

Of course. Would you expect any different stance on the Mexican Wolf from a group like this? Much as the Koch front group, “Americans for Prosperity,” put out anti-wolf propaganda videos pretending that the protecting endangered species somehow gets in the way of “freedom” this group appears to be following the very same playbook.

Down the hall, an anti-wolf event was sponsored by Americans for Prosperity, an organization funded by the conservative Koch brothers. The group offered literature by Ayn Rand and screened the documentary “Wolves in Government Clothing,” which equated rampaging wolves with an out-of-control federal government. Said one Arizona rancher at the event: “Is this politically driven? Absolutely.”

An armed guard patrolled — made necessary, Americans for Prosperity said, by death threats from environmental groups.

The issue of public safety loomed large, with much discussion of the kid cages, boxy structures that resemble chicken coops. Photos and video of the cages have been circulated by Americans for Prosperity, although it was unclear how many exist or who requested or paid for them. Local media reports suggest at least some of them were built by students in a high school shop class.

Americans for Prosperity? I have to ask which Americans this “prosperity” is for? I would bet it is “prosperity” for a couple of billionaires in Kansas and screw the rest of us. Those pesky wolves can’t get in the way of big energy so how else do you get the public to lose support for them? Fear, fear, and fear. They are going to eat your grandchildren. They are going to eat your “puppies.” Even worse is that they will eat your grandchildren and puppies at a bus stop. I know because I heard about it from some guy.

Just press the red button on this page to hear the immortal words of The Wire’s Senator Clay Davis that echo my view on these fear-mongering tactics:

At a very recent Wisconsin Conservation Congress “Wolf Committee” meeting a representative for several of the DNR’s “Wolf Advisory Committee” member groups and a longtime anti-wolf zealot was reported to have been overheard making this comment:

This comment was allegedly made to another anti-wolf member of the committee as the meeting concluded. While I cannot directly confirm the veracity of this comment, I have been assured by multiple wildlife advocates that the person overhearing this comment is of impeccable integrity. However, at this time I will not directly name the person. For several years the person that allegedly made the comment has been engaged in a disinformation campaign and personal crusade against Wisconsin’s wolf population and is also a rabid bear hounder that has allegedly lost a dog to a wolf “depredation” in the past. Considering this person’s history I can see this type of disgusting comment flowing from their mouth.

Even more disturbing is that this person sits on the “board of directors” for the deceptively named hunting group, the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, the Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association, and is a “county chairperson” for the Wisconsin Conservation Congress. The most disturbing aspect of all of this is that each of these groups are part of the Wisconsin DNR’s “Wolf Advisory Committee” that makes “recommendations” on wolf kill quotas and total population numbers. While it may seem strange that one person can represent so many groups on one committee, it should not be a surprise. Last year this person was a “representative” on the committee for the Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association. This year they are speaking on behalf of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation. All of the anti-wolf/wildlife groups on the “Wolf Advisory Committee” and various other DNR committees are interconnected and often have the same paid lobbyist speaking on their behalf.

The ties that bind all of these groups together are blatant and shameless. Nowhere is this more apparent than with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s appointment of Safari Club International “Dairyland” President and Chairman, outfitter, and founder of the Wisconsin Hunters Rights Coalition and Wisconsin Deer Hunters Coalition, Greg Kazmierski, to the Natural Resources Board. The Natural Resources Board approves wolf kill quotas and all other DNR rules and regulations. The “Hunters Rights Coalition” that Kazmierski founded includes “Wolf Advisory Committee” groups the Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association and SCI. Kazmierski is also a former board member and chapter president of the Wisconsin Bowhunters Association, another “Wolf Advisory Committee” member. That’s not all. Before being appointed to the Natural Resources Board by Scott Walker, Kazmierski was a “campaign advisor” for Walker’s 2010 gubernatorial campaign. See the pattern here? All of these groups and government entities are connected with one another guaranteeing that wolves and other imperiled wildlife in this state will never get a fair shake.

Kazmierski and the NRB are so brazen with their “conflicts of interest” that the paid lobbyist of the Hunters Rights Coalition that Kazmierski founded, Bob Welch, testified BEFORE the NRB meeting where this year’s wolf slaughter was approved:

Bob Welch says the number would ensure a wolf density both the landscape and residents can support. Welch represents the Hunters Rights Coalition.

“The goal is 350, don’t change that goal, a lot of people are saying change that goal, the goal was set for a reason,” Welch says.”I want to say, we don’t hate wolves – we manage wildlife and we think it should be based on science.”

After several hours of listening, the Natural Resources Board issued a speedy vote.

Your own lobbyist testifying before the committee you sit on. Then you get to vote for what your lobbyist testifies for or against. Nope. No conflict of interest there. This is Wisconsin under Scott Walker and his extremist hunting group allies. All of these elements are interconnected and the real losers are our wildlife. Should it surprise anyone that a vile comment such as above would be uttered by one of these people?

Take action by using the link below to contact the head of the “Wolf Advisory Committee” and demand a committee that represents ALL Wisconsin citizens and not just those represented by the alleged “gut shooting” commenter and Greg Kazmiersk’s extremist hunting groups be established.

Are you a friend of the Wisconsin wolf? If so the advocacy group of the same name needs your help. As a board member and the webmaster for the non-profit, Friends of the Wisconsin Wolf, I would like to unveil our new website and ask for your help. We are embarking on a program to educate the public about how Wisconsin is driving our wolves toward a second extermination and we need your help with funding. If anyone is able to help we would greatly appreciate any amount that you can give. We are a non-profit so any donation is tax-deductible. Our wildlife is under more of an extreme threat now than at any time during the past century. Our state parks, national forests, and public lands have become playgrounds for bloodthirsty hounders and trappers that have no concept of ethics or being humane. We are fighting back against these people from the grassroots level. Please consider giving a donation of any amount to Friends of the Wisconsin Wolf at the site below. Thank you.

We have known for a long time that the administration of Scott Walker and his puppets in the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources pander to the most extreme elements in our society, but a scheduled meeting between a local “patriot” group and DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp takes this to a new level. The high school graduate and former real estate developer turned DNR Secretary, Stepp, recently admitted to excluding pro-wildlife factions from their “Wolf Advisory Committee” in favor of extremist hunting lobbying groups. On top of that news Stepp had scheduled a “meeting” with a so-called “patriot” group known as the “Prairie Patriots.” This is how the “Prairie Patriots” describe themselves:

“Prairie Patriots is a grassroots group in Dane County, WI interested in increasing liberty, limiting government, and promoting Constitutional principles.”

Now where have we heard that before? Like most “patriot” groups the Prairie Patriots seem to view “liberty” as being against any gun restrictions, supporting “nullification” of any federal laws that they don’t agree with, are against “Common Core” educational standards, fluoride in water, a minimum wage hike, “liberals,” and of course the black guy in the White House. But we are just getting started. Their Facebook posts touch on a wide range of big bad “gubmint” conspiracy topics as well. Here is an example of what one of their recent meetings was titled as:

Mindfulness Training in the Public Schools: Mind Control and Indoctrination for the 21st Century

Thursday, June 5 at 7:00pm

McGovern’s Club and Restaurant in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

3 people went

Political Parties, Thought Police, and Secession

Thursday, May 1 at 7:00pm

McGovern’s Club and Restaurant in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

2 people went

Apparently they also think that domestic abusers should not have their firearms taken away either. Look at the quotations around the word abuser.

Wisconsin’s governor Scott Walker passed three new laws, addressing domestic violence. The laws include a mandate that police track the incidents where no arrests are made when dealing with a domestic-disturbance call.

The laws also make it very clear that there will be a process for seizing an “abuser’s” guns.

While much of their obsession appears to be on the “Common Core” educational standards that have many on the right up in arms, they certainly do not shy away from inflammatory rhetoric. This post makes sure to say that “liberals” are exactly the same as the “ISIS” terrorists in Syria and Iraq:

Prairie Patriots shared a link.

June 18 · Edited

ISIS has declared that all guns in Iraq all illegal, except of course those used by ISIS themselves. It’s kind of like the progressive liberal Democrat wet dream on gun control. ISIS shows yet again how similar they are to the American progressive.

Of course they fail to mention that ISIS is a group of religious extremists which most American progressives are not. But which American group is? Hmmmmmm………..

These are just a small sampling of the extremist rhetoric all over that page. What is strange is that I really do not see too much if anything about “natural resources” so why would the DNR Secretary be meeting with such a fringe extremist group? I somehow doubt that this group would be pro-environment or pro-wildlife so I am making the “great” assumption that this has more to do with raping the environment even further than we have already seen the Walker administration do. Of course that is just speculation on my part but have you ever seen a “patriot” group do anything pro-environment or pro-wildlife? Neither have I. Further down the page I think I found my answer:

Prairie Patriots

May 6, 2013

It appears that Senator Gudex is currently sitting on SB71 — the bill that would put control back into the hands of local governments concerning wind turbines. It would be an important step in limiting BIG WIND to get this bill passed. Please call/write Senator Gudex. Please help swamp his inbox and phone lines by acting personally and by sharing this information. Thanks!

“Big Wind.” Really? I didn’t know that there was such a thing as “Big Wind.” Big Oil? Yes, but “Big Wind?” No. Apparently they are also against the use of renewable energy because that just isn’t “liberty” enough for these “patriots?” The list of attacks on education, gun restrictions, liberals, etc. goes on, on, and on but I think you get the picture.

Cathy Stepp excludes pro-wildlife groups from the DNR “Advisory Committees” yet finds it perfectly acceptable to sit down and talk with a fringe “patriot” group about whatever their “freedom” loving selves want. Nice. Remember this the next time your comments to the DNR are ignored. You just aren’t “freedom” loving enough for Stepp and her agency.

The meeting we had planned for tonight with DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp has been cancelled as Secretary Stepp has been called away today to deal with a family matter. We will be rescheduling Secretary Stepp for an upcoming meeting. We’ll post an event as soon as we can work out the details with the DNR. Sorry for the late notice.

I guess “freedom” and “liberty” will have to wait for another week or two.

Yesterday two Oneida County based potato farmers, Alvin C. Sowinski, and his son Paul A. Sowinski, were sentenced in Federal Court for their role in the poisoning of dozens of wildlife on their property. The two also allowed hunters and trappers to illegally kill predators for their canned hunting operations.

A father and son who operate a large potato farm in northern Wisconsin have been sentenced in federal court in Madison with the poisoning deaths of more than 70 wild animals, including at least two bald eagles.

Alvin C. Sowinski was ordered to pay $30,000 and spend 120 days on home detention. He was also placed on probation for one year and his hunting, fishing and trapping privileges were revoked for seven years.

His son, Paul A. Sowinski, was fined $10,000 in federal court. He will also serve one year of probation. His hunting, fishing and trapping privileges were revoked for five years.

The pair were sentenced on Monday, according to the office of U.S. Attorney John W. Vaudreuil.

The Sowinskis, who live in the Oneida County town of Sugar Camp, earlier had agreed to pay $100,000 in restitution.

According to documents filed by prosecutors, Alvin Sowinski used an insecticide, carbofuran, to poison bait piles to try to kill predators such as coyotes and gray wolves.

They also allowed the illegal killing of wildlife to enhance their canned hunting operations:

The two men also permitted hunters and trappers to kill predators to improve hunting for penned pheasants, grouse and deer for the Sowinskis and friends.

One such hunter and trapper was an undercover officer of the state Department of Natural Resources, who was told by Alvin Sowinski how he used poison to target predators.

The chemical killed several species of birds and mammals between May 2007 and March 2010, including a black bear, bobcat and at least two American bald eagles, officials said.

“This sentence is both correct and just. The message to these two defendants and others should be very clear: wildlife in Wisconsin is for all of us to treasure, and indiscriminate, illegal killing will not be tolerated,” U.S. Attorney John Vaudreuil said.

The sale of fur from these carcasses is used to support the trapper education program and educate new trappers.

If incidental catch of a protected species occurs, please contact your local Conservation Warden or call 1-800-TIP-WDNR (1-800-847-9367) as soon as possible for instructions on how to release an animal, or if dead, how to transport it to the department. A protected species is any species for which the season is closed, there is no open season, or a person has no authority to possess.

Indiscriminate illegal killing is not to be tolerated but indiscriminate legal killing is perfectly acceptable and even encouraged to pay for “trapper education.” I could go on all day but this article is about the poisonings that Mr. Potatohead and his son were convicted for. It also turns out that Sowinski Farms is a MAJOR potato supplier for Frito Lay.

Sowinski Farms of Rhinelander, Wisconsin is one of the longest standing suppliers of chip stock potatoes to Frito-Lay. They signed their first contract with Frito in 1955. In 2009, Sowinski Farms received Frito-Lay’s 2009 North Central Region Grower of the Year Award. During the 2009 crop year, they were cited for delivering outstanding quality and the highest solids in Wisconsin, while delivering on their supply commitments at 100% contract compliance.

On the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article I pointed out in the comments that these two are a MAJOR Frito Lay supplier and immediately got lambasted by right wing trolls. One of which called the behavior of these two a “mistake in judgement.” I am not joking. Here is the exchange with some of the apologist trolls (pdc41 is me):

pdc41 – Today at 9:54 AM – Report Abuse

They are also a MAJOR supplier for Frito Lay. Remember that next time you purchase one of their products.

“Sowinski Farms of Rhinelander, Wisconsin is one of the longest standing suppliers of chip stock potatoes to Frito-Lay. They signed their first contract with Frito in 1955. In 2009, Sowinski Farms received Frito-Lay’s 2009 North Central Region Grower of the Year Award. During the 2009 crop year, they were cited for delivering outstanding quality and the highest solids in Wisconsin, while delivering on their supply commitments at 100% contract compliance.”

PDC: And What does knowing who one of their customers is have to do with their involvement and charges for poisoning wildlife? The people made a mistake in judgment and you want to bring the whole world down around them! If their business dealings had anything to do with this matter it would of been part of the proceedings.

Doing what you are doing is just down right nasty to all involved and the people that work for the potato farm!Perhaps someday if you have a minor accident (fender bender) because you answered a cell call the people involved should escalate it to a felony so as to destroy your life!

pdc41 – Today at 12:46 PM – Report Abuse

Yes because being in a fender bender over answering a cell call is EXACTLY the same as indiscriminately poisoning wildlife. How is deliberately poisoning countless numbers of wildlife a “mistake in judgement?” Wow, there really are apologists for everything. I suppose that you think NAMBLA is just a “misunderstood” child welfare organization as well? These people are sadistic criminals and they won’t get one dime of my money and I encourage others to do the same.

The Silent Ones – Today at 12:57 PM – Report Abuse

Absolutely not! Apologetic???? Ya right!

They should get what they deserve! I am all for punishing them for arbitrarily killing wildlife. However I do not condone viciously attacking back! PDC is deciding what they should get as a punishment, not the Judge! To me that is vigilantly justice! There are other people involved here, innocent people. The other employee’s who work the potato farm. The ones who will be laid off if the Frito Lay contract is lost. Is that what you want for a punishment PDC? Well!!!

pdc41 – Today at 1:10 PM – Report Abuse

As a consumer I have every right to choose what I purchase or recommend for others to purchase. As a citizen I have a Constitutional right to express those opinions on any matter that I wish. If you have a problem with that I suggest taking a gander at that Constitution that you righties like to hold in such regard. Of course I would bet that you skip right past that pesky little 1st Amendment and go right to the 2nd one. Because as we know that is the most important one. Judging from your comment history you seem to have no problem attacking Trek. What about their employees that are impacted by YOUR attacks? There are other people involved with them too. Innocent people. Is that what you want for punishment for them “Silent One?” Well?????

The exchange went on with the hypocrisy of the troll getting more and more desperate. The point being that there are internet trolls out there will jump to the defense of any nefarious behavior especially if it involves anti-wildlife factions and the corporations that do business with them. The above poster had dozens of prior comments attacking Trek Corporation for “outsourcing” yet found it “nasty” that I merely pointed out that Frito Lay does business with the two convicted poachers. The fact that certain (likely paid) trolls immediately hold a major corporation in bed with these criminals faultless says quite a bit.

Frito Lay is not innocent in this situation especially considering that they continue their relationship with Sowinski Farms after the two were charged says much about them as it does about the apologist trolls protecting them.

Let Frito Lay know your feelings about their relationships with these wildlife poachers:

The use of dogs against wildlife in Wisconsin has long been a contentious and controversial issue. In recent years it has become far more contentious when the Wisconsin Legislature voted to allow the use of dogs in the bill that authorized the yearly wolf slaughter starting in 2012. Hounders will have you believe that their dogs are just happy little puppies that only chase bears, coyotes, wolves, and other hounded animals and NEVER engage those animals in fights. They have convinced the Legislature and many in the public that hounding is a “family sport” and is a Wisconsin “tradition” and part of our “heritage.”

Hounders are going out of their way to convince a skeptical public that when their dogs are used against wolves the dogs just politely follow the wolf, wait until the wolf “sits down,” and just waits for the hounder to show up and execute it. This is what one hounder said at a recent forum. I am not joking. From an article by “outdoors writer” and often hounder apologist, Patrick Durkin:

Dave Mabie, of Kennan, a longtime houndsman and Price County delegate to the WCC;

Mabie, however, said many people — not just opponents — have misconceptions about wolf-hounding, and hound-hunting in general. Mabie has owned and trained hounds for more than 30 years, and each autumn takes about 15 individuals and families on hound-hunts for bears, bobcats, coyotes and — in December 2013 — wolves.

“(My guests) tell me it’s the most fun they’ve ever had on a vacation,” Mabie said. “They have a new understanding of how hound-hunting actually works. There’s not all this blood and fur flying around the woods like they’ve been led to believe. They can’t believe how misled they were about hunting with hounds.”

Mabie said most wolf-hounding chases differ little from a bird dog pointing grouse or pheasants.

“Putting one hound on a track is no problem,” he said. “The dog will run that wolf and bark at it until the wolf sits down, and then the dog runs circles around it, barking. If it were a bird dog with a beeper collar, the beeper would go off and you’d move in to flush the bird. The hound basically goes to point on the wolf.”

Mabie also said hounds have little trouble learning to trail wolves, and sees no need for the hotly contested training season now being planned by the DNR and its Wolf Advisory Committee.

“If you own good hounds, you put that hound on a wolf track and it will follow it,” Mabie said. “Unless you’re trying to get a straight wolf-dog, you don’t need to train hounds on wolves. They run wolves real easy without special training.”

So the innocent hound dogs just “run and bark” until the wolf “sits down.” Sounds so fluffy and harmless doesn’t it? If the wolf just “sits down” then I would like Mr. Mabie to explain why the DNR has paid hounders a total of $517,685 through today for killed hounds and “vet bills” for injured hounds?

Hounders are going out of their way to convince us that wolves and dogs won’t fight when they encounter each other. Last December when hounders were allowed to pit their dogs against wolves conveniently all of the wolf bodies that they were required to turn in after a kill were badly decomposed and made gathering any conclusive evidence impossible. There hounders were give sometimes up to 35 days before they were required to turn the killed wolf bodies over to the DNR. 35 DAYS!!!!!! Is it any surprise that the hounders knew to let the bodies decompose so they couldn’t be implicated in any dog fighting?

Even more disturbing that in recent days while “professional” hounders like Mabie are spreading fluffy propaganda other hounders are taking to the internet threatening “war” against wolves through poaching and poisoning as “revenge” for hounds allegedly killed by wolves. They neglect to mention that they are letting their dogs run loose through KNOWN wolf rendezvous and den sites while claiming to be “training” their dogs against bears. The poor hounders claim that they are the victims and DEMAND that the DNR pay them for their killed dogs while at the same time threatening poaching and poison attacks against wolves. Not such a fluffy picture of dogs “chasing and barking” and the wolf “sitting down” is it? Where is the DNR in all of this? Why are they not working to counter the disinformation being spread by the hounders and other wolf haters?

Lets go back to the quote from Dave Mabie for a second:

“(My guests) tell me it’s the most fun they’ve ever had on a vacation,” Mabie said. “They have a new understanding of how hound-hunting actually works. There’s not all this blood and fur flying around the woods like they’ve been led to believe. They can’t believe how misled they were about hunting with hounds.”

Mislead huh? Watch this video and tell me how wildlife advocates are “misleading” people about hounding. It gets really interesting around the 2:00 mark. (WARNING: VERY GRAPHIC)

These are just two samples of how Wisconsin Hounders practice their “sport.” Who is doing the misleading Mr. Mabie? This happens in our woods each and every day to bears, coyotes, raccoons, wolves, turkeys (Yes TURKEYS), and an assortment of other wildlife. Wisconsin law states that dogs cannot be used to attack or kill wildlife yet the DNR claims that there have been ZERO violations of this statute even after wildlife advocates have submitted numerous video and photo evidence. This is how hounders in Wisconsin operate. This is not a “family sport.” This is not “heritage” or “tradition.” This is animal fighting and pure bloodlust. Is this what Wisconsin wants to be known for? I am damn well going to make sure that it is.